Letter-envelope



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PATENT OFFICE.

HOVARD C. BRISTOL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LETTER-ENVELOPE.

Specicationforming part of Letters Patent No. 37,490, dated January 27, 1863.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOWARD C. BRISTOL, of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful ImprovementinLetter-Envelopes 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, like letters in the several gures indicating the same parts, and in which drawings- Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved en velope cut into proper form or outline preparatory to folding. Fig. 2 is a like view With the side laps turned over into position upon one of the main portions of the envelope, thus exposing the pasted surfaces of said laps preparatory to folding the main or body portions of the envelope on the line :1: x. Fig. 3 is a view showing the body portions of the envelope secured together in proper position, with a letter inserted between the same, and with the interior lap turned over the top of the letter between the main folds preparatory to turning the exterior lap over the opening between the main'folds or body portions, as shown in Fig. 3, and securing it to the back of the envelope, as indicated in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows the envelope complete, with the letterfstamp in proper position and postmark thereon. y

The object of my invention is to so construct a letter-envelope with two sealing-laps that when inclosing a letter ready for mailing such letter cannot be opened without detection; and, also, when such envelope has had its letter-stamp placed upon it in proper position the letter-stamp itself shall act as a seal to the letter; and, also, when such letter-stamp is impressed with the postmark such impression shall also act as an agency to detect any violation of the letter. To this end I cut the paper to constitute the envelope into the form or outline as indicated in Fig. l, with side laps, a a, end laps, b b', and body portions c c', leaving an opening in the portion c, as at d, so that when the laps a a are turned over upon the portion o, as in Fig. 2, the ends of said laps may bear the relation to each other and the opening d as indicated in lastnamed figure. Having cut the envelope in the form shown in Fig. l, paste, as indicated,

in yellow tint at e, is put in the usual manner upon the end lap b. Sealing-paste is in like manner placed upon the under surface of the lap b', as indicated by dotted line, and also upon the under surface of the side laps, t a, the paste upon the side laps being indicated in chrome tint, as at a af, Fig. 2. The envelope-blank having thus been furnished with sealing-paste, the side laps, a a, are then folded into the condition shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the main portion c is folded over upon said laps, the crease of the fold being on the line m thus bringing the lines w w and x2 a02 coincident with each other when the body portions` c c are thus folded. Previous to such manipulation the paste a a', being dampened, will cause the side laps, a a, to firmly adhere to the body portion c when folded as just described, thus forming a pocket between the rear wall of the envelope composed of the parts a a and c and the front wall or portion, c, in which to insert a letter-sheet, as at f, Fig. 8. The letter j' being inserted, as described, the end lap b is then folded over the letter, between it and the body portion c, thus exposing the sealingpaste e of the lap b to contact with the inner surface of said portion c in such manner that when the paste e is dampened and the part c pressed thereupon the lap b will firmly adhere to the upper part of the body portion c, at the same time covering the opening d and also exposinga portion of the paste e through the opening d. Having done this, the end lap b is then folded over the top of the envelope, thus bringing its paste e in contact with the back of the envelope, and so securing the lap b thereto, as indicated in dotted line, Fig. 4. A letterstamp, as at g, Fig. 4, is then placed in the usual manner over the opening d, said opening being indicated in dotted line in lastnamed iigure, thus uniting said stamp not only to the superscription side or face of the letter, but also causing it to adhere to the end `lap b through said opening d. The stamp being in such position, it is evident that when the postmark H or lines h for canceling the stamp are impressed thereon, as represented, some portion of the lines formed by the'postf mark or canceling-mark will have a continuous extension upon the face of the stamp as well as the face of the envelope. A letter thus protected it would be exceedingly difficult to violate without detection, since, if the lap b should be detached successfully there still remains the inner lap, b', secured to the inner surface of the Wall or body portion c, and in such relation thereto that it would be very difficult to dampen the paste e to eiif'cct an opening, sinee the paste e could not be affected by wetting the back of the envelope, and to Wet the front of the envelope opposite the paste e would blur the post and canceling` marks, and thusinsuredetection. If, then, the attempt should be made to detach the lap e Without Wettin g it, such act would almost certainly insure the tearing or mutilation of thc stamp g through the 'opening d, after which it would be diiiicult to bring together the torn parts of the stamp in such manner as to leave the cancelingdines h or the postlines H in so that when the letter-stamp is placed over the same a portion or" said stamp will adhere to the inner sealing-lap, substantially as and for the purpose described.

HOWARD C. BRISTOL.

Witnesses:

E. C. GLEAVER, ROBERT C. WRIGHT. 

